Moon over Bayswater © Fiona Sherwin
The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary traces a rich meaning for the word 'abide', all the way from Anglo-Saxon to the modern language: It means to wait, stay or remain, to dwell with someone or in some thing or place. If we 'abide by' something we stay true to it. We have a phrase in English; 'law abiding citizen'; which means a person who remains or lives within the law. If our young people play hip hop or drum'n bass too loud, we say 'I can't abide that racket.' We want to live somewhere else for a while.
The Bible translators take the Greek μένω ménō and often give us Abide in English. Ménō can mean to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy):—abide, continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, to stand.
Meditate on abiding in God's love. Substitute some of the other words if you like, putting yourself in the sentence: 'I dwell in God's love', 'I continue in God's love' etc. Most of them work actually.
The moon was huge the other night, there was no mistaking its overwhelming presence from the motorway. Other times it is veiled by a cloud or the shadow of the earth, but we know it remains.
Give thanks for the times God's abiding love is obvious to you. Then there are the times God's love seems veiled, even distant. Those are the times to remember the words of Jesus; 'Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.' (John 15:5) Those are the times to consciously continue, dwell, endure, be present, remain, and stand in the love of God. Press in to Him, because He is faithful. Stay a while longer. Shalom
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